“We’d especially encourage you not to miss the Kartemquin Films show … Gordon Quinn’s ’63 Boycott remembers the October 22, 1963 Chicago Public School Boycott in light of the struggles around education today. It’s a film every Chicagoan should see.”
“The new 30-minute short brings together never-before-seen 16mm film footage of the boycotts that shut down Chicago’s schools when 224,700 students stayed home to protest the segregation and discrimination in the school system.”
“A few more half-hour documentaries could be made about the next chapters for the Chicago Public Schools.”
“’63 Boycott arrives at a time when Chicago public schools are more segregated than ever. The film and website will provide a modern perspective on the impact and legacy of 1963 Chicago School Boycott.”
“One of the largest and most overlooked civil rights actions of the 1960’s took place in Chicago … Fifty years ago director Gordon Quinn filmed the march as a 21-year old student at the University of Chicago … The memory and power of that day continues to haunt Quinn as he hunts down the participants to interview them about what the boycott meant to them.”
“It’s a worthwhile project for reasons other than nostalgia. Today’s students should know they’re part of a long tradition of protest.”
“… ’63 Boycott from Kartemquin Films chronicles the Freedom Day boycott and the legacy of segregation and racism in Chicago public schools.”
“… an incredibly historic event, a great civil rights demonstration …”
“… film shows a world that is harshly divided into black and white.”
“This film is going to echo loudly given the current state of affairs within the Chicago Public Schools system.”
“Kartemquin co-founder Gordon Quinn’s long-gestating ode to grassroots activism mixes footage of the 2013 march against the school closures ordered by Mayor Rahm Emanuel—the largest in the city’s history—with footage shot by the director a half-century ago of the historic 1963 Chicago school boycott.”
Chicago Sun Times listed ’63 Boycott as one of the “12 screenings to see at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival.”